The Angel's Game

In the turbulent and mysterious Barcelona of the 1920s, David Martin, a young novelist obsessed with a forbidden love, receives an offer from an enigmatic publisher to write a book like no other before--a book for which "people will live and die." In return, he is promised a fortune and, perhaps, much more.

I liked the writing (or translating) but it was not up to the enjoyment level of The Shadow of the Wind. I cared about most of the characters, but it was needlessly long and confusing. I read slower than most authors write, so couldn't always remember the details of obscure events from earlier in the story.

The second book I've read from Carlos, and I must say, he is such a great author. Like The Shadow of the Wind, I could not put this down. The Angel's Game was just as good with it's plot twists and character developments. A little of a nail biter in terms of the ending, but I enjoyed it none the less. Love and suspense, a dangerous potion when you mix it together with some magic.

The story may seem slow at times, but at the end of each chapter there is always a cliffhanger so it's hard to stop reading the book.

I highly recommmend this book if you like mystery books.

But I would recommend you read Shadow of the Wind first if you haven't.

hania4987
Jul 17, 2014

“A writer never forgets the first time he accepted a few coins or a word of praise in exchange for a story. He will never forget the sweet poison of vanity in his blood and the belief that, if he succeeds in not letting anyone discover his lack of talent, the dream of literature will provide him with a roof over his head, a hot meal at the end of the day, and what he covets the most: his name printed on a miserable piece of paper that surely will outlive him. A writer is condemned to remember that moment, because from then on he is doomed and his soul has a price.”
― Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Angel's Game

I enjoyed the Angel's Game, but in a different way than I enjoyed The Shadow of the Wind. The Angel's Game is darker, has more twists and turns and leaves many unanswered questions. The ambiguity makes you think of many possible interpretations of what was real or dreamed or....? I recommend it.

It is a delightful reading. In this book there are some characters from the "The shadow of the wind". Since both books are already published, if one wants
preserve the chronology, you should first read "The Angel's game" and then "The Shadow of the Wind." A familiar theme - "selling the soul to the devil". Sell it or not sell but you cannot run away from yourself. There are sentences in the book that are sometimes is a repetition from "The Shadow of the Wind", but still, this book I read without stopping, since the author's talent is outstanding. I really didn't enjoy the scenes of firefights, very long and way too common.

Quotes

Envy is the religion of the mediocre. It comforts them, it soothes their worries, and finally it rots their souls, allowing them to justify their meanness and their greed until they believe these to be virtues. Such people are convinced that the doors of heaven will be opened only to poor wretches like themselves who go through life without leaving any trace but their threadbare attempts to belittle others and to exclude–and destroy if possible–those who, by the simple fact of their existence, show up their own poorness of spirit, mind, and guts. Blessed be the one at whom the fools bark, because his soul will never belong to them.

"Villa Helius was conveniently situated five minutes from the great paternal mansion that dominated the upper stretch of Avenida Pearson, a cathedral like jumble of balustrades, staircases and dormer windows that looked out over the whole of Barcelona from a distance, like a child gazing at the toys he has thrown away." p16.

"Envy is the religion of the mediocre, it soothes their worries, and finally it rots their souls, allowing them to justify their meaness and their greed until they believe these to be virtues. Such people are convinced that the doors of heaven will be opened only to poor wretches like themselves who go through life without leaving any trace but their threadbare attempts to belittle others and to exclude - and destroy if possible - those who, by the simple fact of their existence show up their poorness of spirit, mind and guts. Blessed be one at whom the fools bark, because his soul will never belong to the," Pedro Vidal, p.13

"The whole of Barcelona stretched out at my feet and I wanted to believe that when I opened those windows — my new windows — each evening its streets would whisper stories to me, secrets in my ear, that I could catch on paper and narrate to whomever cared to listen…"

Summary

In an abandoned mansion at the heart of Barcelona, a young man, David Martin, makes his living by writing sensationalist novels under a pseudonym. The survivor of a troubled childhood, he has taken refuge in the world of books and spends his nights spinning baroque tales about the city’s underworld. But perhaps his dark imaginings are not as strange as they seem, for in a locked room deep within the house lie photographs and letters hinting at the mysterious death of the previous owner.

Like a slow poison, the history of the place seeps into his bones as he struggles with an impossible love. Close to despair, David receives a letter from a reclusive French editor, Andreas Corelli, who makes him the offer of a lifetime. He is to write a book unlike anything that has ever existed — a book with the power to change hearts and minds. In return, he will receive a fortune, and perhaps more. But as David begins the work, he realizes that there is a connection between his haunting book and the shadows that surround his home.